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Sunday, December 04, 2005

Mile 18

Every runner has a mile. For many, it's mile 20, commonly referred to as "the wall." "The wall," like the elusive "runners' high" may be a myth, but there's definitely a mile during which a runner no longer runs, she merely hates. She doesn't hate something, she hates everything. Sunshine. Cougars. Pumpkins. Raindrops on roses - it's all bad. The concept runs counter to the whole endorphins vibe most runners would have you believe keeps them moving. At mile 10, there's a sense of accomplishment, even hope. Mile 12 begins the lonely mileage. For me, Mile 12 began 6 lonely loops through Golden Gate Park. Mile 18 was the first out of the Park and it was literally all downhill from there. I should've felt great and I wouldn't have thought anything could've felt more hopeless than Mile 12. Or Mile 13. Or Mile 14. Or 15 - 17. But Mile 18 comes and even though you know it's coming because it has to or you won't get to Mile 26.2, nothing can make it easier.

Now is Mile 18. I dogged it today - the sports term for walking when you should be running, etc.

As you can tell from the current tagline, Mile 26.2 is coming. Soon. I don't want to run Miles 18 through 26.2, however. But there are no options.

For those law student readers out there, you get the really obvious metaphor here. You get why these are the shortest, longest, bleakest weeks of our lives. I feel your pain. Though not for much longer. Thank God in heaven. There's nothing quite as soul-sucking as law finals, no matter how much I'd like everyone to continue to believe they neither phase me nor matter to me. I can beat down my inner good student, but she dies hard. Of course, the high-achieving student, she's pretty much dead, but no mind. We hope the gainfully employed J.D. will emerge alive and kicking.

For those of you civilian readers who wish I'd leave the naval gazing for my diary, I apologize, and ask your patience as I wrap up some loose ends here. Read this article on the Governor losing a ruling on 'news release' videos, it's interesting and can hopefully provide the basis for some further discussion (hint: that means, if you want to comment on this post, why not make it substantive - the "you go girls" or "buck ups" are appreciated but of limited utility at this point).

I may or may not be up with the blog in the next 10 days. But like Frosty, I'll be back again one day (likely the 15th).

In the meantime, I'm hoping you have some guestposts to peruse. I'd hate to leave you with nothing to do.

I had a 9am test this morning (Wills and Trusts). They give us a 20 minute break between the essay portion and the multiple choice portion of the exam (is this standard at law schools? I never had this before I came here). Anyway, I went to the bathroom at the break and taped on the wall above one of the toilets, in plain sight were notes! Fortunately they weren't notes from my class. They were notes for Contracts which had an exam Saturday afternoon.

So I ripped 'em off the wall and gave them to our proctor. How stupid/ballsy/stupid do you have to be to post notes in the bathroom like that? If you're going to all that trouble, why not just learn the information?